RETAIL SALES AND TRANSPORTATION DEMAND

RETAIL SALES AND TRANSPORTATION DEMAND

Advance Retail Sales (monthly data, seasonally adjusted)

Advance retail sales are a leading indicator of retailers' sales expectations
and may suggest future demand for commercial transportation services. Retail stores
may require faster and more reliable delivery of shipments as consumer demand
increases and inventories are maintained at lower levels.

Advanced Retail Sales

Aug-02

Sep-02

Advanced retail sales (millions of dollars)

277,872

274,405

Advanced retail sales percent change from previous month

0.64

-1.25

NOTE: Advance retail sales are advance estimates of monthly retail trade produced
by the Bureau of the Census. The advance estimates are based on a small subsample
of the Census Bureau's full retail sales sample.